


When the bells toll

by charlottefrey



Series: My lil ginger baby and his cute lil emo [5]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Ben is a little shit, Force sensitive!Han, Han is suspicious, Hux has an overprotective cousin, Laul Tarkin, M/M, No real Jedi's, OCs - Freeform, Querda, What happens when you leave me alone, dark things, eventually SkySolo, eventually angsty love, imagine Han's cockyness and Leia's smartass in one person, other than Luke-y boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-08-21 18:16:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8255584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charlottefrey/pseuds/charlottefrey
Summary: After the capturing of General Armitage Hux, both the Resistance as well as the New Republic are in an uproar.But especially one young Force user is confused. As his friend Poe would put it: The redhead meddled with Ben's head.





	1. Sassy little shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm at it! This is based mainly on the well-known Ben (Organa-)Solo AU.   
> You are welcome to leave criticism!  
> Prepare for some OC's and lots of weird pining moments!  
> inspired by hicstreme0's fan art which i sadly couldn't find any more because...y'know they deleted everything after what happened.

If Ben was honest, he was sometimes very full of himself. He was a fully trained Force-user. No Jedi mind you, he had left that monk-stuff behind that had his uncle obsessing over every little thing. He was a proud part of the Resistance. He was a girls and boys magnet. And he had the best friend in the world.

   “You sure we can simply pull that?” Poe Dameron asked as he looked over the card game he was playing with Han to the smuggler’s son.

   “Sure.” Ben said smugly. “They won’t suspect a thing.”

   “Son…don’t be such a reckless idiot like I’ve been.” Han said while he laid out his cards. “I win Dameron. You gotta clean my ship and fix the left canon.”

   “Damnit!” The dark haired super-pilot threw his cards on the table. “And here I was thinking that finally I could beat you.”

Han smirked.

   “The only person who has ever beaten me in that game was Luke and Leia. And only because they are better at the Force.”

   “You can be better at the Force.” Ben complained.

   “Be quiet, Master Jedi.” Han said and waved his son off. “It’s the Skywalked blood that makes those two so damn strong. I hate it.”

   “You didn’t believe in the Force in the beginning, dad. So don’t complain now that you can control it.” Ben said and his father was about to answer, but Chewbacca interrupted their bickering. After a good minute of loud wookie sounds, Han simply nodded. While the pilot left the two younger men behind, Poe looked confused at Ben.

   “What was he saying?”

   “We’ll arrive soon at the extraction point.” Ben rose. “Querda checked in with us?”

   “Yeah, she says everything seems to run smoothly so far.” Poe sighed. “Why are we doing this again?”

   “Because this can prevent an all out war between us and the First Order.” Ben sighed. “I don’t like it either, but we have to do this. Or else the Order buys him back.”

 

 

Hux clenched his teeth and looked over to where his guard sat. He was hanging from a force field in the middle of a large room in some back water planet’s mafia boss hideout. He cursed his foolishness to leave the _Finalizer_ behind and come to Jakku on personal business with only a small amount of Stormtroopers.

A red-skinned Twi’lek walked by and looked at him with her startling black eyes. He lips twitched into a smile and she pulled on one of her lekku over her shoulder. The silver clasp glinted in the low light and Hux imagined to see the Resistance sign in the elaborate design. But she was gone from his sight before he could see more.

Then there was a sudden movement in the other wise lazy crowd. Three men and a wookie entered the room and Hux sneered. One, the only silver haired, was the famous smuggler and Rebellion General, Han Organa-Solo. The other must be his and General Organa’s Jedi-son. And the last one…was none other than Resistance-posterboy Poe Dameron.

   “What a beautiful display.” Ben Organa-Solo said slowly.

   “Son, better not be too cocky. We haven’t gotten our hands on him properly.” Han said and shot Hux a look.

Despite the difference in political orientation, Hux knew enough about the two heads of the Rebellion. Leia Organa was a thick-skulled person with strong moral ideals, leading the Rebellion through the Battle of Hoth and the Battle on Endor. Han Solo was a different kind of boots. He was head-strong, but had the right distrust and general suspicion of a smuggler.

   “Han Solo!” Someone shouted. A Cerean alien walked towards the newcomers.

   “Dapau!” Han replied as he shook hands. “And it’s Organa-Solo.” Dapau waved it off.

   “This is the famed Chewbacca.” The wookie screamed at that. “Your son Ben and…Poe Dameron.” The alien seemed impressed with the amount of Resistance celebrities Han had come for Hux.

   “Indeed.” Han said. It was obvious that he didn’t want to make it so public who had come for the First Order General, but what had been done couldn’t be undone.

   “Why don’t we go into the backroom for the negotiations.” Dapau lead the men away and Hux was left sneering.

 

 

Querda watched Dapau leave the room just as happy as he entered it. Han, Ben and Poe followed, Chewie trailing them as ever.

 _He finally agreed to the terms_. Ben’s voice whispered in the back of her mind and she let herself smile a little. Without hesitating she wandered through the group of men until she met the man in the furthest corner.

   “The offer still stands.” She said slowly to the haunted eyes in front of her.

   “I don’t think so. I am not Resistance.”

   “I wasn’t either until Luke brought me to the Temple. Now I am both a Force User as well as Resistance.” She kept her voice low and her expression friendly. “Please. We can give you opportunities no other can give you.”

   “I…I will come with you.” The man moved. “But…”

   “Yes…We won’t judge you on what you did before.” She waved him to follow her. Hux had been let down and handcuffed. Ben smirked over to Querda as she made her way to her friend.

   “Ben, we have someone else to take with us home.” She pointed to the man behind her. Thankfully everyone was so occupied with the captured General that they didn’t ask for his name.

   “Welcome and all, we’ll introduce us later.” Ben said with a friendly smile.

   “Thank you for the good business, Dapau.” Han shook hands again with the humanoid. “We are very thankful that you contacted us before the Order.”

   “Aah, Han for old time’s sake I would do a lot of things for you.” Dapau laughed and shot a look at Querda. “You didn’t tell me that this beauty was one of yours.”

   “Better keep your distance with her.” Poe warned. “She’s a Jedi.”

To emphasize this, Querda rested her hand on her light sabre. Dapau only smirked and nodded. Without another word, the small group left

 

 

Ben enjoyed the hand he had on General Hux’ arm. He felt like he could take on the First Order by himself. The redhead didn’t like to be touched as far as Ben knew. He found the entire situation terribly annoying and was furious. But despite the fury in the man’s mind, he was extremely composed.

When they came to the landing platform the _Falcon_ was standing on, Hux sneered a little bit. _This bucket of trash is supposed to bring me to the Resistance? Well beggars can’t be choosers._ Ben smirked to himself as he lead General Hux inside.

   “Welcome aboard.” Ben ducked under the low ceiling and force the General into a small cell only a few metres into the ship. “This will be your luxurious room for the time being. You will get better quarters as soon as we’re at the base.”

General Hux frowned at him and eventually sat down on a small bench. Ben flopped down across from him. He looked at the man across from him. Only now Ben noticed that slight trace of dried blood under the General’s nose.

   “You’re smaller than I imagined.” Ben eventually said. Hux rolled his eyes. _You’re stupider than I imagined._

   “You imagined me?” He gave the General his most brilliant smile, enjoying the startled jerk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading giving kudos and commenting!


	2. Devil's work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When General Hux' cousin Laul Tarkin hears that Armitage was taken prisoner by the Resitance, her temper runs high. Only the Supreme Leader himself manages to calm her down with a promise. But what promise...  
> Meanwhile the Resitance leaders debate on what to do with the captured FO officer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, i was taken up by work then the Advent Calendar and then my right hand got bitten at work, so i was unable to write (plus writers block hahah, fun)  
> I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

Laul Tarkin swore under her breath when she read the message the Supreme Leader had sent her. When she rose from her seat in the large sky office on Arkanis the rage that boiled under her skin made her feel lightheaded. There was nothing she could do and she knew it. Armitage was captured, but she wouldn’t sit here with her hands in her lab.

   “Resistance scum.” She hissed under her breath and slammed her hands into the window that made up two thirds of her office walls and ceiling. The rain splattered across it and the world outside was just as grey as the office she was standing in.

   “Sir? Supreme Leader Snoke wishes to speak to you.” Her personal assistant said via the open com.

   “Patch him through.” Laul heard the holo flicker to live behind her and she turned, her long black cape swishing behind her.

   “Snoke.” She said and bowed her head.

   “Admiral.” The scarred man said. “You have had time to read my message by now, I suppose. I can feel your rage and your hatred.”

   “Yes.” The woman hissed. “I want them dead, Supreme Leader. How long until everything ready?”

   “Be patient for another month cycle. It will be ready and fully operational by then.”

   “I cannot leave my cousin in their hands for so long!” Laul screamed. “They will start trial as soon as he’s with them and he’ll be executed by the time everything is operational!” She threw the white lilies off her table and the flowers flew against the steel wall, the water splashing the windows as the vase shattered.

   “You hatred and anger won’t change anything. The workers are already working over time.” Snoke said sharply, as if scolding a child.

Laul snarled and looked at Snoke from under her short red hair. The deep green of her eyes burned as if a fever was settling in.

   “If Armitage dies, it’ll be on your account.” Laul said.

   “He won’t die. I am certain of it. I cannot say as much for you.”

   “I don’t care if I die as long as he is safe…” Laul shouted and gripped the edge of her desk.

   “I am fully aware of that, Admiral Tarkin. He will be safe and sound at every time.” Snoke reassured her. “The love you hold for him is strong.”

Pushing back from her desk, the woman strode to the holo. She brushed her hair back harshly and she sneered, exposing her with teeth.

   “Armitage is the only one I have left. He’s the only who cares about me after what happened.”

Snoke bowed his head at that and smiled softly, as if he was experiencing the strong devotion to Armitage Laul felt. Then he nodded, jerkily as if he moved rarely this quick.

   “I haven’t said it’s bad.”

   “One last thing. I want the crew of the Finalizer. They may want some sort of revenge themselves. And they are the most loyal crew I know.” Laul exhaled. “And one of your apprentices, they will prove useful against the Force-Users of the Resistance.”

   “It will be arranged. Until then…good fortune to you, Admiral Tarkin.”

   “Thank you. Good fortune to you too, Supreme Leader.”

The holo feed flickered and vanished. Laul balled her fist, listening to the satisfying crunch of leather in the otherwise dead silent room. There was only one word ghosting through her mind and she tasted it, both excitement and rage in her heart.

   _“Harvest.”_

 

 

Hux hissed when he was dragged outside. The sun was too bright after the darkness of the storage chamber he had been locked in. And it was hot here. There was nothing he hated more than sun and heat. It turned his skin an annoyingly bright as well as painful shade of red.

   “Don’t worry, you won’t stay in the sun for too long.”

That blasted Ben Solo had read his thoughts again. He hated him more than anything else and wished he could strangle him.

   “It’s Organa-Solo, I like reading your thoughts and I would only let you strangle me if we’d fuck.”

   “No one wanted to know that you’re into breath play.” The Twi’lek woman from the smuggler’s liar said. “That’s just way too deep into you disgusting mind.”

   “It’s not that disgusting, Querda.” Ben said.

   “Shut up, remember mediation with Luke? Mind melting?” Querda shuddered. “Ew, just no!” She huffed and grabbed a bag. “I’m off to my quarters. See you at dinner.”

   “Yep.” Ben waved her off. “And now to you. There should be a cell for you somewhere in here.”

Armitage was dragged away, in a very undignified way he might add, through a lot of corridors. Pilots and other Resistance fighters stopped and stared at him. He presumed he was some sort of celebrity not only in the Order, but outside of it too. Still he kept his thoughts in track and only glared back.

Finally the two men came into a part of the base that was clearly designed to hold prisoners. And there she stood, Princess Leia, Rebellion General and Leader of the Resistance.

   “General Hux.” She said.

   “General Organa.”

   “Organa-Solo.” Ben said quietly. Armitage rolled his eyes and looked to the side.

   “I think I don’t need to tell you what we’ve planned for you, Hux.” Leia sighed. “As much as I don’t like it, but you’ll be interrogated by my son and Querda.”

   “Interrogation won’t work on me.”

   “You’ll change your _mind_ soon enough.” Leia said and Armitage suddenly remembered what Snoke had told him once about the raw power of the Force and what kind of atrocious things those instructed were able to do with it.

   “But you have time until tomorrow.” Ben smiled when he shoved Armitage into the cell.

Leia looked at him with her sad, knowing eyes and sighed. Ben only rested a hand on her shoulder and she nodded. It seemed final and looked like she put a lot of strength into it. Then both left Armitage alone.

 

 

   “I’ve told you many times before that I do not approve of this use of the Force!” Luke said and the old man’s eyes were narrowed on Admiral Keita across from him.

Everyone else in the room was quiet and held their breath. The Admiral sneered and slammed his hand on the holo pad in front of him. There was so much hate in his eyes that it hurt Leia when she looked at him. The other Force-Users in the room seemed to feel it too and shared uneasy looks.

   “We have to interrogate General Hux! And this is the quickest way possible!”

   “The Force isn’t there to simply _invade someone’s mind_. It’s there to build a mutual connection between two or more willing Force sensitives. That’s what you don’t understand. A Jedi…”

   “Shut up about Jedis. You are the last one and no one will listen to you!” Admiral Keita sneered. “No one in this room will refuse me if I send them to interrogate and torture this man. He’s the enemy.”

Silence fell and Luke glanced over to his sister and her chest became tight when she saw the horror on his face.

   “I think we should only invade his mind if it’s strictly necessary.” Leia said and stepped to the Admiral’s side.

But Keita was having none of it and shoved her away from the holo pad before she could continue. Leia lost her footing on the uneven ground and fell. In an instant Keita was throw backwards and slammed into the wall behind him. Ben’s outstretched hand held him in place against the rough stone wall.

   _“BEN!”_ Han boomed and his son instantly lowered his arm. “Thank you.” His father said and helped his wife up. “I think all of our tempers are running high tonight. General Hux has to…”

   “I won’t hear any of it…”

   “Admiral Keita.” Han shouted and stepped forward, hitting the man in the chest with his finger. “I will not let you interrupt me!” He stared at the taller man with annoyance. “What I was suggesting is, that we sleep over the issue tonight and meet again to discuss what is to happen to the General.”

A low murmur of people saying “Agreed” rose and the Admiral had to bow before this. Still when he left the room along with the others, Leia felt his anger and the hate he felt towards General Hux.

   “I partly understand him.” Ben said quietly. “He lost his sister to the man.”

   “It’s still no reason to torture the General like that.” Leia said sharply. “Have you ever gotten your mind invaded? Have you ever been tortured?” Ben bowed his head at that.

   “There is truth and righteousness to both sides.” Luke murmured. “But we have to find the right path for both.”

   “Mind invasion is not the answer.” Han said. “After what happened the first time the three of us tried to bond, I don’t want anyone to suffer the same.”

   “I won’t do it.” Querda said. “I will refuse.” Her eyes rested on a spot in the darkness of the meeting room.

   “No one will force you to do anything.” Leia said gently and hugged the woman.

   “If I won’t do it, he’ll call for the others. And we can’t gather too many of the Force-Users here. It’ll draw Snoke’ interest.” Ben walked up and down. “I…I…”

   “Think about it.” Luke put a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “I trust you to find the right decision for this situation. And if you will do it, I trust you to be gentle about it.”

Ben looked at his uncle and gave a small smile. Then he looked at the other’s in the room. Querda gave him a sad smile and his mother merely nodded, giving her blessing. Han frowned but shrugged.

   “You are old enough.” He merely said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, giving kudos and commenting!  
> In loving memory of Carrie Fisher.


	3. Disrupted Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Ben begins with the extraction of information from General Hux mind, things go awry and he nearly looses the General. Only with Luke's help he is able to bring Armitage back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next 2-3 chapters will be a bit angsty...you've been warned. Gore warning for chapter 5 can already be set (not that heavy, but i rather inform folks ahead of time y'know)  
> I hope you enjoy this (I haven't posted anything in a while that wasn't long overdue, whoops, life's making regular updates hard)

When General Hux woke the next morning he saw his ugly jailer standing against the bars of the cell, talking with two men. One was Ben, the other one had a coat on with the Resistance sign as a brooch.  

   “Morning General Hux.” Ben Organa-Solo said, looking not so sure of himself as yesterday. 

   “Good morning.” General Hux merely replied.  

   “I am Admiral Keita.” The other man introduced himself and waved the jailer off. “I am merely here to see how you’re faring. Ben will interrogate you today.”  

The Admiral unlocked the door and threw the key carelessly to Ben. Armitage’s eye twitched and he instantly hated the man, not only because he was Resistance but also because he was mistreating his subordinates. Never in his life Armitage would have been so disgustingly misusing his position, especially in front of a prisoner of war. 

Thankfully the Admiral left with one last look at the captured General. Ben entered the room, slowly and carefully, the key tucked away in his trouser pocket. He motioned Armitage to stand up and the General felt cooperative enough to do so reluctantly. After all he didn’t know what Ben had in store for him.  

   “Come on, let’s get this over with quickly.” Ben grabbed Armitage's arm. “The room isn’t far from here.”  

They walked quickly through the prison and reached a metal door all too soon. Ben opened it with a remote control and the entered a barren room that smelt faintly of blood. Armitage shuddered and frowned.  

   "I promise you I won't cut you open or anything. I can't guarantee you that it's going to be non-painful though. Mind invasion is per say a painful experience." Ben pointed at one chair in the corner. "Sit down please, I don’t want you fainting and bashing your head in."  

Armitage sat down, watching the Force-User pace the longest wall up and down. For some reason Armitage was relaxed and unafraid, as if he knew he wouldn’t be harmed. Swallowing he tried to imagine what it would feel like to have his mind invaded.  

   "Shouldn't you start?" He asked Ben, who was still pacing the room like a trapped animal. 

   "So eager to be tortured." Ben said with a mirthless laugh.  

   "No, I simply want to get over with it so I can go back to my cell and do nothing other than imagine to escape." Armitage said sarcastically.  

He got a startled laugh from Ben which, for some reason, made him laugh too. The two man locked eyes accidentally and Armitage saw Ben smile a little at the end.  

   "I try to be gentle. But you must let me in."  

Armitage nodded, now suddenly overwhelmed with fear of the unknown. Ben knelt down across from him on the cold hard ground, folding his long legs. He closed his eyes and Armitage, who felt weird watching the other man meditate, closed his eyes too.  

 _Pain flashed through his mind, cutting through ever_ _y_ _thought and emotion. He screamed, if in real life or only in his mind, Armitage wasn’t sure. It was painful, so painful. It felt like a groping hand in his head, searching brutally for_ _in_ _formation_ _, vital data and memorie_ _s, anything_ _._  

 _Armitage's finger dug into the chair, he felt the outside pain of hard metal digging into his flesh. But nothing he had ever felt in his life compare to the pain Ben inflicted on him right now. Then the other man found a memory. It was_ _Phasma_ _and him talking about_ _Snoke's_ _project Star Killer one evening after a conference._  

The pain was suddenly gone and Armitage sagged forward, eye half-way open, staring at his skinny knees. Drool gathered in his mouth and he tried to swallow it back.  

   "I'm so sorry." Ben's hand helped him sit up again and the brown eyes of the other man were full of concern. "I'm so, so sorry." Ben's fumbling hands held Armitage upright. "LUKE!" He shouted loudly, turning towards the door.  

Armitage opened his mouth to speak, but only gibberish left him. Ben visibly panicked, eyes frantic and wide. But the First Order General swallowed and tried a second time to speak, failing again. The door burst open and an old man entered, white robes fluttering behind him.  

   "Luke!" Ben said, visibly relieved. "He can't speak any more!"  

   "I...can." Armitage forced out and groaned in pain when his head hit the back of the chair.  

   "Bring him into the mediation room!" Luke, the Luke Skywalker apparently, said.  

Ben lifted Armitage up, the boneless man light in his arms. The General's head sagged against Ben's shoulder and he closed his eyes, letting the other carry him away from that horrible place. He felt safe in Ben's arms.  

Ben on the other hand was panicked, he shivered despite the heat in the base. What if his attempt at mind invasion had failed, what if the General was lost for good. With a quick look down, Ben noticed the other's relaxed, if not slack face and the closed eyes. He was visibly in pain, so Ben hurried after Luke. 

Thankfully no one was in the meditation room at the time, so Ben only laid the General onto the soft blankets on the ground. Luke was already rummaging through the cupboards, searching for something. Ben touched the redhead's forehead, the heat making him shiver.  

   "Light those." Luke trusted a few candles into Ben's hands and the younger went to work. 

When they were all lit and placed around the room, Luke motioned Ben to sit next to him. Together they began mediating.  

 _Armitage felt a soothing_ _pres_ _ence_ _around him. Calm and soft like a cat's fur._ _Unbidd_ _en_ _ly_ _, Millicent came to his mind and he shoved the thought away, or at least he tried to. But she resurfaced, together with a memory of himself and_ _Laul_ _, petting the young Millicent on a cold day on_ _Arkanis_ _._  

 _It was the happies memory Armitage had and for that reason, his most_ _treas_ _ured_ _one. But as he looked around in that memory, he saw a picture frame on the wall and in that picture frame two men were sitting on the ground in a beige coloured room. Candles were burning and Armitage saw himself on the ground before them._  

 _He sighed and closed his eyes, feeling his body fall_ _backwards, further and further down, but the warmth didn’t leave him and the calm never went away. It was like he was floating despite the sense of rushing downwards. He smiled to himself, hearing the purr of_ _Millicent in the back of his head._  

And then he opened his eyes again. He blinked once or twice and turned his head. There they were, Luke and Ben sitting on the ground, both meditating. Armitage licked his lips slowly and sat up, head spinning a little at the motion.  

   "I'm fine." He said evenly.  

Both men opened their eyes, Luke with a small smile on his face and Ben with a relieved expression.  

   "We meditated for an hour." Luke said softly. "I feared you wouldn’t wake up again." 

   "I'm a hard nut to crack." Armitage replied with a smile.  

   "I am so sorry." Ben suddenly burst out. "I wasn’t gentle enough I think." He flushed.  

   "Was it your first time?" Armitage asked the other.  

   "Yes."  

   "I am not going to say it's okay, but you handled the situation well." Armitage felt a little bit weird saying that, but it had simply burst out of him. "Next time be a little bit more gentle."  

   "I also think it was partly the location to be blamed." Luke said slowly. "Ben, I think it would be better if you found someplace else to interrogate the General."  

   "I will have to ask Admiral Keita's permission for that." Ben said, face twisting in disgust.  

   "Ah...Keita." Luke sighed.  

   "I'll ask mum." Ben said with a sigh. "But I think it would be better if I brought you back to your cell for the time being."  

Armitage sighed and rose fully. He wavered when he stood on his feet and all of a sudden, Ben held him gently upright. With a sigh, Armitage leaned against the solid mass of the man beside him. Luke watched the two men, completely take up in the moment. He didn’t need to read either of their minds to know that this would lead to trouble. 

 

 

Admiral Keita scoffed and threw his gloves on the conference table.  

   "Do you really think I will allow a prisoner of war to simply stay for a longer period of time in a place as unprotected as the meditation room?" Ben clenched his teeth. 

   "We won't get anything out of that man if he dies! And he will die or at least lose his mind completely. I had one memory, barely a glimpse of a woman in a silver armour standing in a large, dark room, saying two words. Starkiller Base. And he nearly passed out on me!" Ben barked back, anger rising in his throat like bile.  

   "I will not allow this!" Admiral Keita screamed back.  

   "You will." Luke said sharply.  

Ben looked at his uncle, for the first time in a decade he saw the older man angry. He usually spoke in soft, gentle tones, but now fury had taken over his face.  

   "Do not use your Jedi mind tricks on me!" The Admiral spat. 

   "I won't. But I will remind you that General Hux is very unlikely give any information if you torture him physically." Leia said sharply and flipped her hair back. "Agree or no one will help you extract information from General Hux' mind!"  

   "You can't blackmail me." Admiral Keita shouted. "You are only a mere General!" The woman took a few long steps towards him.  

   "I am Royalty!" Leia barked back, shoving her face into his. "And I am not black mailing you I am merely implying." She bard her teeth at him. "And trust me a hell lot more people would die for Princess Leia Organa than Admiral Keita."   

   "I will never agree!" The Admiral spat and turned away from the table, pacing the room.  

He did everything with a flair of drama, exaggerated and showy. Ben scoffed to himself and rolled his eyes. He glanced over at Luke, who was the only one of the four still sitting.  

   "If you want something you have to give something in return." Luke said softly, more to the table top than to anyone in the room. "Balance needs a sacrifice or else it's no true balance."  

   "Shut up with your Jedi banthashit!" Admiral Keita slammed his hand onto the table.  

Luke jerked his head up.  

   "I can patronize you all I want, I've been in the Resistance longer than you, I fought in the Galactic War and I am a trained Jedi. You either accept that...or you will stand alone. Everyone in the Resistance is loyal to the Jedi, believes in them and the Force-Users. We don’t need a puffed up child like you, calling itself Admiral when the only thing you did is donate money to our war-effort."  

Luke said all of this calmly, sitting on his chair, eyes fixed on the table top. When he looked up to the Admiral, his face was perfectly blank, relaxed. He blinked slowly, smiled and rose.  

   "I think we're finished here." He said. "Thank you for granting us the permission to use the mediation room."  

Ben grinned when he walked out behind his mother and uncle. Sometimes it was amazing what kind of self-control Luke had over himself. When the three parted way, Leia smirked at her brother and Luke smirked back at her.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and leaving kudos!   
> Please comment if you enjoyed!


	4. Sword of Damcolus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second time Ben enters General Hux' mind, it goes a little smoother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can i say, i love Han and Ben bonding time

Admiral Laul Tarkin stood at the helm of a small space craft. She watched the large space dock floating near Arkanis in space underneath hrt. Her dream, the First Order's dream, was being built down there and she smiled to herself while Dopheld Mitaka informed her of the progress the workers had made.  

Behind her, above the glittering of Arkanis, The Finalizer hung heavy and dark. Yet she looked almost tiny in comparison to what was being built underneath her. Captain Phasma entered the bridge, her dark cape twirling behind her.  

   "Admiral. There are news from the Resistance." Laul turned.  

   "Speak Phasma." With a wave of her hand, Mitaka left, shutting the doors behind him. 

   "There is word of a Resitance Admiral, named Keita, who has renounced his position." Captain Phasma handed the data pad over. "There is no new message on General Hux though. We only know that he is currently being interrogated by Force-Users."  

Laul sighed. Her eyes strayed from the data pad and to the view port. She would show the Resistance the full firepower of the First Order. But only once everything was finished and operational. She grit her teeth.  

   "How long?" She asked slowly.  

   "It's been a week since he was captured." Captain Phasma said slowly. "Apparently he's still holding out." Laul nodded.  

    "You are dismissed." She said and the Captain left.  

 

 

 

General Hux' second interrogation was in the meditation room. While Ben lead the other man from his cell to their destination he felt the nervousness the man emitted. Ben bit his lower lip and inhaled deeply. He had admitted it to Querda at breakfast, that he was scared shitless. Yes he had killed a lot of people while he fought.  

But killing someone's mind was a step too far, way too far for Ben. He knew what a harmful presence could do to someone's mind. Having experienced a dark presence in his younger days, when he had been training with Luke on Dantooine. But he went to talk to his mother about it. And somehow the presence had vanished, once he left Dantooine with Querda to find Rey.  

   "I trust you, you know?" General Hux said when they entered the meditation room. "For some reason." He added.  

   "Yeah." Ben said and shuffled awkwardly while the General sat down.  

   "If we're going to do this again...call me by my first name please."  

   "So...Armitage?" Ben sat down across from the redhead on a pillow.   

   "Yes." The other man smiled. "Ben. I am ready."  

 

 

Armitage had trained with Luke for a day to relax around the presence of the Force and was now anticipating Ben's presence. Would it be as painful as the first time or would the other man feel like Luke, soft and full of sunlight.  

_Armitage felt a strong grip around his mind, closing off all_ _connection_ _to the outside world. He didn’t smell the candles anymore or felt the blankets under himself. He was_ _floating. Then it was like someone opened the door to his mind and stepped inside, slowly and gently._  

_Armitage waited for Ben to make the first move. He let his memories open, but didn't show them to Ben. He waited_ _,_ _Ben's presence as a heavy, warm weight in his mind._  

_And the Ben made the first tentative step and searched for the memory of Armitage's meeting with_ _C_ _a_ _p_ _tain_ _Phasma_ _and several other high ranking officers of the Finalizer. The meeting about_ _Starkiller_ _Base._  

_It was still, even now a dream of_ _Snoke_ _to build this superweapon. But he had ordered Armitage to begin the planning and designing of the base. While Ben watched the memory, Armitage relaxed. He let him search his mind further. There was no point in resistance and Armitage knew it._  

_He didn't want to end up brain dead anyways. But he knew_ _w_ _hich_ _memory he wouldn’t let Ben view._ _Armitage would refuse him to. But Ben seemed to be happy enough to look at the memories of meetings with_ _Phasma_ _and his officers or the formal events of high ranking Generals and Admirals._  

_When Ben looked at a_ _particular_ _ly_ _annoying and painful memory of Armitage's own father, the older man mentally closed up._ _Instantly he felt Ben retreat, clos_ _ing_ _the door to Armitage's mind._  

And then Armitage felt the blanket again and smelled the candles. Ben inhaled across from him and lifted his head. The dark wavy hair slipped back and revealed worried eyes. 

   "I'm sorry." Ben said.  

   "What are you apologizing for?" Armitage asked and sighed. "It wasn’t a particularly happy memory, but it wasn’t personal. I just don't like my father, that's all." Armitage brushed his hair back.  

   "Alright." Ben smiled a little bit. "The...the redhaired woman...is she your sister?"  

   "No...she's Laul... you may know her better under the name Admiral Tarkin." Recognition passed over Ben's expressive face. "She's my cousin. My mother was a Tarkin."  

   "You are close, aren't you?"  

Armitage swallowed and looked away from the man across from him. He instead glanced out the window into a bright blue sky and small, puffy clouds passing by. His words tasted bitter in his mouth when he spoke. 

   "My father is the Commandant of the Academy." Ben hummed in reply. "He started a new training method. Laul was one of the best students and so her and I were the first ones to start the new training. It was...dangerous...but Brendol thought it would only harden us further. 

"I made it through the parkour without a problem. I was only mildly injured, which I am still grateful for. But Laul wasn’t so lucky. A fuse blew and with it...a part of the parkour. She lost both her legs and very nearly her life."  

 

While Armitage spoke Ben refused to feel sorry for Admiral Tarkin. The woman had a reputation even viler than Armitage. She was brutal and relentless. Quite literally she stepped over the dead bodies of her victims.  

   "Yeah...We are close. But ever since the incident Brendol hasn’t really spoken to either of us. It was his failure that nearly cost both of our lifes." Armitage brushed his hair back.  

   "You father sounds like a real prick." Ben said with a smile.  

   "He is." Armitage replied with a burst of laughter.  

Ben flushed a little. When Armitage laughed, his whole face lit up and he looked so beautiful. Then Ben realized what kind of thoughts he had about his enemy, a man that had threatened to blow up the New Republic. 

   "I should bring you back to your cell." He said and stood.  

Armitage rose himself and they left the room behind. But both carried the feeling that something wasn’t quite right with them for the rest of the day.  

 

 

 

Han stood in the setting sun, watching Rey, Poe and Finn return from the woods. Chewie stood a few metres to the side and talked to Snap. This is how Ben found them, as he walked over the landing platform. When he headed over to his father, he felt...uplifted to see him again and well.  

Han had once more disappeared in the night on some mission or smuggler trip. And whenever it happened, both Ben and Leia worried for him. Leia, because she knew what kind of trouble her husband could get into and Ben because despite all the love he held for his mother, his father had always been the more important parent for him. 

   "Ben." Han said and turned to him.  

    "Hey dad." Ben said and let himself be pulled into a hug.  

Yes his father's head rested against his chest, but still, Ben felt good to held like that. It reminded him of the night when Han had flown Ben back to Leia after a particularly bad nightmare. One in which he murdered with lust and without mercy.  

Chewie had taken over the Falcon's control panels. Han had held Ben in the pilot's seat. Until then Ben had shied away from any human touch other than his mothers. But something about the way Han held him had comforted him more than anything. Both had cried, Ben into Han's old shirt and Han into Ben's hair.  

It was something they repeated often enough afterwards. Ben had hugged Han after a particularily harsh dog fight. Han had pulled Ben close after a dangerous mission. And they had cried in each other's arms many times after. 

   "Ben." Han mumbled and sighed, a world weary sigh.  

   "What's up dad?" Ben asked and closed his eyes, feeling his father relax.  

   "I heard a lot of shit about the First Order. There are rumour of rumours and they scare the shit out of me." Han clung harder to Ben and Ben's heart was seized by an unnamed fear. 

   "What kind of rumours? About Starkiller? It thought they had halted it."  

   "They did." Han released Ben so much to look his son in the eye. "But they say that there's an even bigger terror being built. What is unknown, but as far as I know, the First Order can only cook up bad shit."  

Ben had seen fear in his fathers eyes often. Han wasn’t ashamed to show it, just like Poe. The shivery exhaled of his father cooled Ben's chest. Han blinked a few times too often.  

   "I just worry...about so much. I don’t want to lose you. And I don’t want to lose Leia." Han's voice was empty and broke in the end. "The First Order isn't just inspired by the Empire, it's his daughter."  

Ben swallowed and pulled his father close to himself. He loved his family and he loved the Resistance. He bit his lower lip to keep his tears at bay.  

   "We'll push through. It's what we've done all the time."  

   "I want to believe we'll get through this unscathed." Han said quietly.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh i have the next few chapter written, but i dont know if i should post them. Idk. Like, give a comment if you want more. I feel like shouting into the void and getting very little to nothing in return, just like all the fucking time.


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